So to the final Group Games of XCL XXII with still many interesting battles yet to be resolved and Colinzink’s back in the hotseat completing the reports for Groups E & G. One quick pointer, Kurdiska’s TTT value remains the same as matchday five as they were vacant during the match with many players having to be sold and a much weaker squad than the normal Kurdiska we felt it only right to leave their value as was.

Group A

Arsenal Academicals (52.750) 0-0 Wesenbergh United FC (71.538)

Considering their obvious weaknesses in the XCL, Arsenal have given a good account of themselves in the group stages and now had the chance to spoil the Wesenbergh party by defeating them. However Wesenbergh are managed by MOTW, Sam11 whose side will have been boosted by the Super League Cup Win just prior to the XCL tie. It was 442 vs 451 and the focus on the midfields lead to a fairly boring tie. It was a scrappy encounter with Wesenbergh edging the match on the chances tally but again Arsenal proved the thorn in yet another XCL side, calmly playing down the time at their own tempo and grinding out another draw, not enough for Wesenbergh to be assured of reaching the next round and now they focus their attention to the Ballbreakers-Vmo Boys game.

FC Ballbreakers (69.973) 0-0 Vmo Boys FC (60.456)

So it all came down to this, win and Vmo Boys would join the Ballbreakers in the next round, anything but and it was Wesenbergh who’d nick the second qualifying place from Group A. Ballbreakers weren’t going to rest any of their star players though, sending out their strongest squad possible against the Vmo Boys who’d lined up so route one was their main goal threat. Vmo Boys spent ninety minutes pumping balls from their own half into the opponents’ eighteen yard box but they weren’t causing enough mayhem in the Ballbreakers area, they managed a couple of chances but crucially, didn’t force the ball past Per-Erik Wallander and the Ballbreakers ensure Wesenbergh are the team that join them in the next round, poor Vmo Boys missing out by a point.

A snore fest in Group A but Wesenbergh won’t mind as they ‘tactically’ nil-nil their way through. Vmo Boys will be cursing a sum total of four draws which see them miss out by the smallest of margins.

Group B

Grävman AB (49.340) 1-6 IF Elfsborg (64.528)

Grävman had already given up, not offering any help to their fellow countrymen by making almost eleven changes to their side and fielding a fully weakened line-up against a very grateful Elfsborg side. The fixture was to Elfsborg’s favour but they didn’t have an ultra-confident first half, a scrappy opening leading to just one goal but that goal was enough to give them the lead, Valentin Landgren with the goal just before the break.

The second half saw Elfsborg run riot in front of the Grävman goal, scoring straight after the break with Bernt-Åke Netterstedt. Thomas Ince made it 3-0 soon after with a beautifully guided finish from the edge of the area but Grävman were to hit back with cool striker Joseph-Antoine Eto´o’s strike. Someone must have told Elfsborg in the last ten minutes that the more they got the more likely they were of grabbing a more favourable draw in the next round and boy did they go for it. Ronald Ellgren with the fourth from distance, John-Erik Gentzel adding a fifth two minutes later and Kennet Öberg added gloss to the victory in the dying seconds. Six of the best from Elfsborg from six different players, can’t deny Elfsborg’s goalscoring exploits.

Avd. 53 (72.074) 1-0 FC Marand Club (56.770)

So all Avd had to do was not lose and they’d also be in the next round at FMC’s expense. The chosen formations were 532 and 451; surely you could only expect the worst. Avd were in control throughout this one, hardly letting Marand Club have a sniff of their goal, the barn door remaining shut through the ninety and they even managed a group clinching goal on 68 minutes, Rocky Edvinsson racing into the middle and planting his header into the bottom corner to ensure it would be Avd going through at the expense of the Romanians.

The final whistle went and it was Avd celebrating, going through on twelve points and they also go through unbeaten, as do Elfsborg as the two drew both games between each other (not suspicious at all :D) whilst FMC lost three games in the end and it was probably just they went out in the group stages.

Group C

Kurdiska CF (65.118) 1-4 Dammsugarn (50.777)

They’ve received more bad publicity than Jon Venables yet Kurdiska would keep trying to wield away at results after Furad’s quite mysterious departure and here they lined up weak and managerless against already-out-the-competition Dammsugarn. They’d taken every possible knock in recent weeks so how they went ahead in this one is beyond even the most optimistic Kurdiska fan, but they managed it. Santiago Juanele who was sold later in the week, floating a deft freekick over the wall and into the back of the net to bring the Swedish fans out of their misery to quick applause. It took 23 minutes for Dammsugarn to pull level but they managed it in the shape of Oskar Söderkvist who even as the oldest man on the field, could grind out a great goal from distance.

In the second half though Kurdiska – or what’s left of them – were taken to the cleaners by Dammsugarn, Jim Danielsson the man of the moment with two goals, one a header and one a close range finish. The other goal came from Albert Le Henaff on the break and this gave Dammsugarn a nice ending gift, one that hurts Kurdiska further as they travel to the bottom of the group.

Brattås Titans (54.756) 2-2 Göktürk Empire FC (62.062)

That result already means both these sides have qualified and now it’s a case of pride, the small token of going through as ‘group winners’ but most importantly of all the more favourable draw in the next round that’s on offer here. Göktürk weren’t prepared to rest on their laurels as was obvious from the start, Bength Edberg smashing and grabbing the lead for the Turks. Hakan’s receiving a lot of support from the Classic League and the Turkish fans in general and he wasn’t letting them down, when Edberg was brought down inside the area Fabricio Sabadin stepped up and coolly knocked the ball in. There was a cluster of yellow cards in the first half but after the storm had calmed the Titans pulled a goal back, Bert-Ola Holmlund the goalscorer.

Göktürk were struggling under pressure, they looked for all the world like a team capable of winning the XCL but in the second half lost all their spark and it wasn’t long before the Titans were level, this time Scott Ford stealing in to make it 2-2, game on! The last 25 minutes were nervy and tense for both teams, desperately wanting that winner but wary of the breakaway threat which both had imposed earlier in the game, Göktürk went from losing their lead to losing their heads when with five minutes left Perry Preston dived into an impossible challenge on the edge of the opponents area and picked up a silly second booking, red card and no complaints from the midfielder.

Fortunately this didn’t cost Göktürk who still finished as group winners and in the end finished as the team who’d amassed the most points from the group stages, not bad but they’ll be trying hard not to repeat this performance, fortunate to even end up with a point after going 2-0 up in the early stages. The Titans meanwhile remain as the Scandinavian Dark horses to lift the trophy.

Group D

FC Käsehafen (59.926) 3-2 IK Frej (46.260)

A game of two halves, when 442 lined up against 433 goals was the top of the menu and there were plenty of them in this one, a match Käsehafen simply had to win by as many goals as possible, depending on the result of the other game. The omens were with Futurama though when bottom side Frej remarkably went in 2-0 at the break. Rune Söderling who takes the mickey SQ-wise headed Frej in front and then on the stroke of half time after quite an even half, Richardo Mercury shot home from just inside the area to put the visitors 2-0 up, silence ensued.

Manchesterff must have given one of the best team talks ever seen in the history of x11 as after half time there was nothing but one way traffic down the Swedish motorway towards the Frej goal. Six minutes in and bang there was goal one scored by Toni Preusser, making himself look seven foot with a huge jump to greet the cross and head it home. Fourteen minutes later and Rolf Linders got in on the act with a driven finish from 12 yards out. Would there be a winner? Of course, Pontus Alvhäll made himself a hero by making good use of his heading SQ with a headed goal with a quarter of an hour to play to make it Käsehafen 3-2 IK Frej. That was it, Käsehafen had done their part and now they had to wait in anticipation for the result of the Futurama-Gardenia game.

Futurama (63.290) 1-4 Gardenia (80.694)

If there was one game Futurama had to get right it was this one, and they made the best possible start with a goal with just six minutes on the clock. Eremia Munaru volleying in a corner to bring not just one of the goals of the group stages but quite possibly Futurama’s most important of the group stages... or maybe not. A minute later Gardenia worked the ball straight down the field and Diego Manchini flicked the ball in to level the scores. Still, the news Frej were ahead at least boosted the hearts of Futurama somewhat knowing that if results were to stay the same they’d go through, well if only. Two corners lead to two further Gardenia goals first from Arnold Downie and then from then Andre Santoro giving Futurama a mountain to climb.

They made a real fight of it in the second half with Gardenia’s defence proving shaky once again. However it was Gardenia who would score next and dash Futurama’s XCL hopes, Kåre Lyngstad scoring to make it Futurama 1-4 Gardenia, simply sublime from the visitors. At the final whistle it was heartbreak across the stadium, Futurama had missed out in unfortunate circumstances. They’ve learnt a lesson though; never expect an easy ride in a group full of three other Swedish teams.

Group E

Atletico Wolves (57.048) 1 – 1 PF Stratocasters (74.699)

The Stratocasters were already thru to the knockouts before this match even took place, and the Wolves would need all kinds of stars aligning if they were going to come out of this group…but none of that would matter if they didn’t first win this match against the high-powered Dream League outfit. You have to give Lupu10 credit, he went for it all with the 343 formation while the Stratocasters were content to sit back and soak up the pressure in their 451 formation.

Despite their intentions, things started poorly for the home side when Mattias Kallstrom found himself in a good position to collect a loose ball in the area after the corner and hammer it home for the away side. 0-1 to the Stratocasters who, if they weren’t already, were now coasting to the end of this one. That was the only chance of the first half as well; things were going to need to turn if the Wolves were going to pull the impossible. The football in the second half was a lot better and deliberate, but neither side were able to add to the scoreline until the 87th minute when Inge Blekemo found himself all alone with the Stratocasters keeper and was able to get the better of him! 1-1, all square which made the last few moments of this one a tense one for the home supporters! Unfortunately they were not able to grad a last second winner, but it would not have mattered anyways as the other result didn’t go their way.

Astana (58.002) 0 – 2 Alleycat Scratch (57.606)

This is the kind of last matchday fixture that you want to see. Both sides in this one controlled their own destiny, a win and you can book yourself a ticket to the knockouts, a loss and you can start warming up the team bus to head back home. Astana lined up in the 442 at home, while the Scratch went for a more cautious approach with the 532.

The home fans were wishing they had stayed home early on in this one, when Dwayne Milton lost his marker in the penalty area and was able to get a toe to Janick Clyde’s low cross to make it 0-1 to the Scratch in the 6th minute. The home side looked totally uninspiring in the first half despite having the lion’s share of the possession they could not even test the Scratch goalkeeper even once. Nothing changed in the second half, Astana finally able to record one chance but that kind of effort was never going to be enough, especially after Anwar Rafou doubled the away side’s advantage in the 83rd minute with an expertly taken freekick. The Scratch had done it!

Group F

F.C. Sloga (71.895) 3-0 Torres FC (68.637)

Sloga have quietly got on their business so far in group F and hear they faced Imajedi’s Torres FC who knew they had to beat the home side to have any chance of reaching the next round. Sloga took no time at all establishing authority in this big game by scoring in the very early stages, Gilbert Hervé making Torres pay for leaving him unmarked on the break. This was the only goal of a dull first half with the ref bringing out his card on three occasions, including once showing it to the Sloga goalkeeper, Lowe.

Sloga then went on to control the second half and scored twice more to end Torres’ dream of making the next round, first Hervé headed in a corner to clinch his brace then Mikael Forssell continued his great run of scoring in XCL matches with yet another goal with a quarter of an hour left and that was it, Sloga had done it – Torres had missed out.

FC Maurerna (58.631) 0-0 Göteborg FC (72.108)

Maurerna were out but had the chance to leapfrog Torres with victory here whilst Göteborg had to win to keep command of top of the group or else they’d be leapfrogged by Sloga. It was 442 vs 352 just like the last game but unlike the last game it wasn’t an attacking game full of chances, the defences prevailed in this bore draw, neither side got a firm grip on the game and the result didn’t help either side, Maurerna failing to leapfrog Torres and Göteborg falling to second despite losing no games compared to Sloga’s one loss, amazing.

Group G

Murighiol Fever (65.838) 0 – 1 National (40.380)

Sadly, neither game in this group even remotely mattered; National could win this one by 60 goals and the still weren’t making the knockouts, and the same could be said of the Fever, who were 2nd place no matter what as well. The Fever lined up in the 343 formation at home and National went for the 451 in this completely dead rubber match.

Early on it sure looked like neither side cared about the result, with the home side clearly going thru the motions. National managed a few chances, but they proved relatively harmless. The second half was a much better contest, as I assume both managers told their side to at least feign interest in the match. National was the team ultimately to benefit from a more open game in the 68th minute when Petrica Lovisteanu was able to get free out wide a swing in the cross to meet the head of Laura David. 0-1 to the away side and that’s how this completely ineffectual match would end.

Wycombe Wanderers (49.790) 0 – 0 Gundars FC (61.039)

If you were bored by the Fever and National, you better just look away from this one, haha. Gundars were finishing top of the group no matter what so the side on display was nothing short of a joke. On the other side of the pitch, the Wanderers could avoid the embarrassment of last in the group with a win, but really that is only just enough motivation to get out onto the pitch and not curl up in the fatal position for a power nap.

Both sides sent their teams out in the 442 and that was enough to see both sets of players totally cancel each other out. The weakened Gundars were not really motivated at all to win this one and it showed as they squandered all 4 of their chances in this game, while on the other side of the pitch the home side couldn’t get anything going at all. This was plain and simple, a terrible match to watch. Several match goers were left wishing they had stayed home and watched paint dry or water boil.

Group H

Empoli FC (83.769) 2-0 Fields of Athenrye (55.926)

Mammoth side Empoli were in action against miniature FOA, looking to sneak past Lionhearts to go through as group winners at the death and this was certainly on number on manager, Empoli’s agenda as he lined up 433 against the visitors’ cheeky Swedish 352. In the first half it was the Fields of Athenrye, who are enjoying their last XCL outing this season, providing the pressure as they aimed to step up a gear from their previous performances but again their lack of goalscoring instincts let them down in the first half and it remained goalless at the break.

Cue a number one team talk from Empoli and off the home side went again, a goal from the captain Bo-Christer Björnberg livened the spirits of the Swedes and it set the tone for the second half with Empoli comfortably on top and wrapping up the game near the end with Rodrigo Teixeira’s goal. Full time, 2-0 and over to Traktor Siberia and Lionhearts to decide which way this group finishes.

Traktor Siberia (54.525) 1-0 Lionhearts F.C. (78.104)

A 532 suggested the Lionhearts might be tempted to play for the draw to ensure top spot what with their superior goal different and Siberia’s 442 suggested they may have been right to try this. Everyone was happy to see the back of the first half, both teams seemed disinterested, bored and all 22 players looked like they wanted to be somewhere else. That was almost the storyline in the second half but one moment of brilliance from Siberia, breaking away past the Lionhearts’ brick wall found young Dalibor Radojicic to net home the winning goal in the 57th minute which meant Siberia would jump off the bottom of the group and Empoli would indeed replace the Lionhearts as group winners, the only unbeaten team in the Group.

There are plenty of intriguing battles with the current champions in the mix, two former finalists who face off against it and even a few knockout stages newbies. Sweden are the dominant nation again (lol surprised?) With seven of the sixteen sides being managed by Swedes, there are six other nations gracing the knockout stages including three Romanian Teams and three Great British based sides, two of them being Scottish. In the battle of which is the best Xpert League, if this counts, it’s a tie between the Euro and Golden League who both have two teams in the second round and then another twelve other Xpert official leagues in there with one representative. Power and Hattrick Leagues shame on you :p.

Will Göktürk continue their champion form into the second round? Will one of the unbeaten teams from the group stages, Empoli, Avd et all make it all the way through the competition unbeaten? Will one of the underdogs like the Titans or Scratch take the coveted title? This is the magic of the Xpert Champions League! :D the second round begins this Wednesday.